Oaxacan food, for the most part, is delicious. That said, there are some things that are more appetizing than others. I prefer the moles and tamales to specials such as the one above. And, I love looking at all of the beautiful pastries and their clever names. There is one called a pan beso (bread kiss) that has two buns stuck together with a red jelly. Cupcakes are called panque. And, there are other pastries that look like an ear called orejas (ears). There’s even one called a veladora (candle). You can get one shaped like a pig (puerquito), one that tastes like pecans (nuez), one that looks like a shell (concha), and one that looks like a cow’s eye (ojo de buey). There are donuts (bunuelos, churros, and donas) and cookies (galletas) with all sorts of decorations (including sprinkles and smiley faces).
I have been on the hunt for pickles and pepperoncinis here. I finally found some pickles at the grocery store; they are softer and sweeter and spicier than the dill pickles in the US, but they are satisfying nonetheless. The olives (aceitunas) also taste different here.
Oh, and I finally found the fresh tortillas. They were buried beneath three blankets in the pastry section. I did not buy any because they are packaged three dozen at a time. I have to get more friends here before I make such an investment.
shewhodaresnothing 